HIMYM: Weekend at Barney’s

Sorry for the sporadic recaps.

We start on the day of the wedding with ten hours to go. And Barney is out cold from all he had to drink the night before. The problem? Robin’s dad has paid for wedding pictures that morning. And he’ll be pissed if they have to cancel. So the gang has to get Barney awake and sober.

Ted, though, wonders if that’s necessary. After all, Barney is incapable of taking a bad picture. We flashback to the episode all about that. Remember? Back when Marshall and Lily lived in DoWiStrePla? When Ted was dating a new girl every week in the wake of Stella breaking his heart? How Robin tried all episode to get a bad picture of Barney and failed? Time to rely on his superpower now!


Except it doesn’t work when Barney’s unconscious. So Ted says the next option is Weekend at Barney’s. You know, Marshall and Ted manipulating an unconscious Barney. Robin puts the kibosh on it though. Ted says that it’s the dream…and then can’t believe he actually said that.

So that leaves only one solution: Barney’s hangover cure. But it’s a secret recipe, known only to Barney. He told the story of its creation to Ted who was recovering from his “got left at the altar” bender. It involves FDR, World War II and a twist on the Manhattan Project. Oh, and a relative of Barney’s with a similar sounding name. It involves Tantrum soda, funions and other ingredients Barney does and doesn’t name. Ted swears by it. And so do the others, all who have had the magical elixir at some point in their lives.

Ted and Marshall go to fetch the known ingredients while Robin and Lily try to wake Barney to learn the rest. Hijinks ensue. Including Barney going down stairs on a rolling serving tray. Robin threatens to cut one of his ties but it doesn’t work. Lily wonders where she got that trick. So Robin reveals she was late getting up for school one day and her father did that to a favorite item of clothing of hers.

While Ted and Marshall joke about “throwing a Tantrum” (because Marshall threw the bottle of Tantrum to Ted, haha), Robin and Lily go to Plan Last Resort. Which is? The two of them kissing. It’s Lily’s dream come true. They kiss and Barney wakes right up. Time to learn the secret ingredient!

But wait! There’s more! As they witness Barney’s drunken state, the gang vows to never get that drunk again. But they break that vow. Marshall breaks it the night of his election as judge, when he thinks Joe Manginello is beating him. But there’s a turn around and Marshall wins! But he’s so soused, he bombs his speech.

Lily breaks her vow when Marvin goes to college. She and Marshall hit a bar. And so does Marvin.  Mother and son spot each other. As Marvin’s eyes widen in terror, Lily’s face contorts in anger. “You son of a me,” she hisses.

As for Robin, her relapse comes a few years in the future while she and Barney are in Argentina. They sit up on the floor next to a bed looking disheveled. And then a baby starts crying. Robin gets up and cuddles the baby. Now before everyone gets excited that Barney and Robin were able to have a child despite Robin’s infertility, Robin asks Barney, “Who’s kid is this?” A woman bursts in, shouting in Spanish. Robin hands her the baby before she and Barney rush from the room.

I don’t think we saw one with Ted’s overindulgence. If I am wrong, just let me know!

With Barney roused, they try to get the secret ingredient out of him. But there is no secret ingredient. There is no miracle hangover cure. Just a placebo. Everyone seems disappointed but then Ted realizes the true cure. It’s Barney’s kindness and friendship. That he was there for them after some of the worst moments of their lives. And now it was their turn to repay Barney. So Weekend at Barney’s it is. They maneuver Barney through his wedding photos and Robin’s dad totally likes Barney now.

Except not. It was just a lie they told Barney to make him happy. The truth was that the photos were cancelled and Robin’s dad kicked an unconscious Barney in the nuts. But Barney is happy to think his friends pulled off Weekend at Barney’s (even if he can’t figure out why his nuts hurt). And that’s the Hangover Cure.

We go to Ted’s future, where we see the Moseby house on New Year’s Day. Ted walks in with Barney’s Hangover Cure and gives it to the Mother, who is looking worse for wear. She is a bit credulous about the cure but Ted swears it works. The Mother drinks it as Penny and Luke run in to greet their parents.

It was nice to see the gang working together. And to be reminded how powerful their friendships can be. The glimpses into their futures were nice too. I’ll be sad when this comes to an end.